Rail-joint.



No. 795,042. PATENTBD JULY 18,1905. T. A. JOHNSTON & 0. DILL.

RAIL JOINT.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.8,1905-' Patented July 18, 1905. I

PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS A. JOHNSTON AND CHARLES DILL, OF OAKDALE, PENNSYLVANIA.

RAIL-JOINT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 795,042, dated July 18, 1905.

Application filed March 8, 1905. Serial No. 249,042.

To all whont it may concern:

Be it known that we, THOMAS A. JOHNSTON and CHARLES DILL, citizens of the United States of America, residing at Oakdale, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rail-Joints, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in rail-joints, and has for its object to dispense with threaded bolts and nuts in connection with a rail-joint.

Another object of the invention is to provide a rail-joint the parts of which can be quickly assembled when it is desired to conmeet two rail-sections together. To this end we have provided two interlocking fish-plates which are adapted to embrace the web portions of the confronting rail-sections. Novel means is provided for retaining the interlocking fish-plates upon the rail-sections. the simplicity of construction employed in connection with fish-plates permitting the same to be manufactured at a comparatively small cost, at the same time maintaining suflicient strength and durability to withstand the stresses and strains exerted upon the fishplates by rolling-stock passing over the same.

The above construction will be hereinafter more fully described and then specifically pointed out in the claims, and referring to the drawings accompanying this application like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of our improved rail joint. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of one of the fish-plates employed in connection with the rail-joint. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a two-part fish-plate used in connection with our improved rail-joint. Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view of our improved railjoint- Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one end of a rail constructed in accordance with our invention, and Fig. 6 is a detail perspective view of a pin and key employed in connection with our improved rail-joint.

To put our invention into practice, we employ two sections of rails similar to the type of rail at present used. WVe dispense with the plurality of apertures or bolt-openings formed in the web portions of the rail-sections and provide the web portions 1 1 of the rail-sections with apertures 2 2 and openings 3 3. The apertures are preferably located adjacent to the confronting edges or ends of the rail-sections, and in the accompanying drawings we have illustrated the openings 3 as being preferably formed rectangular in side ele- Vation.

To secure the rail-sections together, we employ novel forms of fish-plates, which are illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings. The reference-numeral t designates a fishplate similar in cross-section to the ordinary type of fish-plate commonly used, and my improved fish-plate is provided with apertures 5 5 and with ou twardly-extending hook-shaped lugs 6 6. These lugs are adapted to pass through the openings 3 3, formed in the web portions 1 1 of the rail-sections, and the open ings 5 5 of said fish-plate are adapted to horizontally aline with the openings 2 2, formed in the web portions of the rail-sections.

In Fig. 3 of the drawings we have illustrated a fish-plate comprising members 7 and 8, which are adapted to engage one another when locked in position upon the rail-sections. The member 7 is provided with apertures 9 and 10 and with an opening 11, which is approximately the same size as the opening 3, formed in the web member of the rail-section. The rear face of the member 7 is cut away, as indicated at 12, to receive a tongue 14L, carried by the member 8, and said tongue is provided with an aperture 15, which is adapted to horizontally aline with the aperture 10 when the two members are secured together. The member 8 is also provided with an opening 16, which is substantially the same contour and size as the opening 11. The outwardly-extending flanges 17 of each of the members 7 and 8 are provided with a cut-away portion 18, adapted to receive spikes or similar fastening means employed for securing the railsections to a road-bed.

WVhen it is desired to secure the rail-sections together in the manner illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawings, the fish-plate 4 is placed in engagement with the web portions 1 l of the rail-sections, the hook-shaped lugs 6 6 protruding through the openings 3 of said rails. The members 7 and 8 are then placed in engagement with the rail-sections by placing each member in engagement with the protruding end of each hook-shaped lug, as illustrated in Fig.1 of the drawings. The member 7 is then adapted to overlie the tongue 14 of the member 8, and the apertures of said members are adapted to aline with the apertures 2 2 of the rails and the apertures 5 5 of the fish-plate 4%. We then employ pins 19, carrying heads 20, for securing the fishplates and rails together, and these pins are adapted to pass through the apertures of the fish-plates and the rail-sections. Each pin is provided with an opening 21 in its end, and

in said opening we secure a tapering key 22, which is split, as indicated at 22, the split ends being bent outwardly to hold the pins Within their respective openings and at the same time firmly retain the fish-plates in engagement with the web portions of the rails.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the drawings, it will be observed that we have provided novel and effective means for retaining two rail-sections in engagement with one another, at the same time providing means to firmly brace the heads of the confronting rail-sections. The

interlocking feature of our improved fishplates prevents the rail-sections from becoming disengaged from the fish-plates, and it will be impossible for any longitudinal movement of the rail-sections to take place when the fish-plates have been once secured The construction of the fish-plates together.

enables the same to be quickly assembled, and the use of wrenches and the like tools that have heretofore been employed in connection with rail-joints are dispensed with, it only requiring a hammer or the like tool to assemble the different parts of our improved rail-joint. It will be noted that various changes may be made in the details of construction withhaving openings formed therein, a fish-plate,

lugs carried by said fish-plate, and adapted to engage the openings of said rail-sections, a

two-partfish-plate adapted to engage said lugs and embrace said rail-sections, pins adapted to pass through said fish-plates and said railsections, and means to secure said pins within said rail-sections, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof we aflix our signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS A. JOHNSTON. CHARLES DILL.

Witnesses:

K. H. BUTLER, H. O. EVERT. 

